Microfluidic devices have flow paths through which reaction solutions flow, and can react the reaction solutions containing an extremely small amount of sample or reagent. Examples of such microfluidic devices include microreaction devices (microreactors), integrated DNA devices, or microelectrophoretic devices.
For example, microfluidic devices are used in reaction devices which cause desired changes in temperature of the reaction solutions flowing through the flow paths. Use of the microfluidic devices can change the temperature of the reaction solutions at high speed.
Nucleic acid amplification devices have been known which amplify target nucleic acids through repeating change in temperature of the reaction solution. Microfluidic devices used as such nucleic acid amplification devices can amplify target nucleic acids at high speed.
For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a device including a plurality of divided sections having different temperatures, and a serpentine flow path such that a reaction solution repeatedly passes through the sections having different temperatures.
Such a configuration can bring a desired change in temperature to the reaction solution only through traveling of the reaction solution through the serpentine flow path, achieving high-speed amplification of nucleic acid by using a reaction solution containing the nucleic acid.